LETTERS: MORE INFORMATION ON FERTILITY IS AVAILABLE FROM RESOLVE

To the editor:

I applaud the Southeast Missourian for the health feature on infertility. It was an excellent article and provided information and hope to many infertile couples.

There were a few facts not in the article I feel are important and would like to mention them. First, although there is not a local support group for infertile couples, there is RESOLVE of St. Louis. RESOLVE is a national support group and provides wonderful information and encouragement for infertile couples. RESOLVE of St. Louis has monthly meetings on the third Thursday of each month. They are held at Brentwood Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood Blvd at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome, and you do not need to be a member of RESOLVE to attend.

RESOLVE newsletters and meetings provide information on the latest medical advances in treatment, coping information and information on adoption. To become a member of RESOLVE and receive a newsletter you can write to RESOLVE of St. Louis, P.O. Box 131, Hazelwood, Mo. 63042 or you may call (314) 968-6504.

Your article was very positive and hopeful on successful treatment, but there are other outcomes in the infertility process. Once a couple spend great time, emotion and money on fertility treatments, there is a time when they must be ready to move on to either remaining childless or adoption. Both choices can be as difficult as the diagnosis and treatment of their infertility. RESOLVE is there for these people providing excellent resources.

Oct. 30 through Nov. 5 is National Infertility Awareness Week. I hope during that week you will want to do another informative feature dealing with another aspect of infertility. I also hope your article has helped infertile couples seek treatment and support and the public understand how difficult infertility can be.

SANDI ESSNER

Cape Girardeau